With 85 percent of consumers searching online for local businesses, getting found and standing out is more important than ever. But how do you compete without endless resources or a bottomless marketing budget?

With a little time and some creativity, you can get your business noticed without breaking the bank (or spending all your downtime on marketing distractions.)

Build Credibility and Trust With Online Reviews

According to SearchEngineLand.com, 7 out of 10 consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. Be sure to actively monitor reviews about your company, take the feedback seriously and incorporate it back into your business.

Pro Tips:

Inspire rave reviews by doing an amazing job.

Make it easy for customers to review you by keeping the process short, simple and timely (while the experience is fresh in their mind).

Never review yourself or your competitors.

If you do get a negative review, take the high road, stay professional and respond privately and publicly (when appropriate).

Remember, it’s not about what one person says, but rather how you as a business respond and resolve issues.

Get Listed Online So You’re Easier To Find

Make it simple for new customers to discover you by optimizing your listings and citations on the web. A citation is simply a mention of your business name, along with your contact info, address or website (think Google+ or MovingCompanyReviews.com).

Pro Tips:

Start by identifying where your listed (and not!) and making sure all your info is consistent and up to date: business name, website, phone number, address etc.

There are dozens of free listing sites. Ask prospects and customers how they found you and prioritize for your best referral sources.

Look up your competitors to see where they’re present, and where you might be missing out on opportunities.

It takes time to claim and update your relevant listings. But it’s time well spent. You’ll not only be more visible online (in all the different ways potential customers may find you), but you’ll also rank better in local searches.

Turn Your Assets Into Great Content

Content marketing is a powerful tactic to differentiate your business by establishing trust and authority. You can turn nearly every aspect of your business into shareable content.

Here are a few ideas to convert your crew, your experience and your customers into awesome content.

Take pics or video of your team being the best at what they do (i.e. piano moving, packing dishware etc.).

Create mini-bios or profiles of your move crew so prospects feel they “know” who will be in their home.

Develop how tos, FAQs or tutorial content with consumer tips for a happy move.